Cellulose-ether composition



Patented Sept. 4,1923.

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STEWART J. CARROLL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO: EASTMAN KODAkCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, YORK, A CORPQRATIOH OF NEW YORK.

- CELLULOSE-ETHER comrosrrron.

Ho Drawing.

roe and State of New. York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cellulose-Ether Compositions, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact specification. ,I

This invention relates to solvents for cellu lose others and tocompositions produced by the aid of such solvents. One object of theinvention is to provide a solvent which.

will readily dissolve cellulose ethers and 1 make as strong solutions asmay be required in the varnish and plastic arts, including solutionssufiiciently viscous for film manufacture; Another object of theinvention is to provide cellulose ether compositions 0 which may be madeinto strong flexible transparent film. Other objects will hereinafterappear.

I have discovered that these objects may be attained by mixing ethylenetrichlorid with' certain alkyl compounds and by dissolving celluloseether in the mixture. This mixture has a much greater solvent actionthan the sum of the solvent actions of its" constituents when usedalone. The alkyl compounds which I may employ are the monohydroxyaliphatic alcohols containing less than six carbon atoms, acetates ofsuch alcohols, acetone, and mixtures of these, and

I designate these by the expression, a compound based upon a monohydroxyaliphatic alcohol containing less than six carbon atoms. In thepreferred embodiments of my invention,I prefer to use the more volati eof these compounds, such as methyl alcohohethyl alcohol, methyl acetate,ethyl acetate, or acetone.

By way of example, I may mix'from 10 to 90 parts by weight of ethylenetrichlorid with 90 to 10; parts of one of said alkyl, compounds like.ethyl alcohol. ethylene trichlorid and ethyl alcohol in eqlualproportions by weight yields an exce lent liquid solvent. For instance,this solvent will dissolve from i to t (say 0t its own-weight of ethylcellulose insoluble in water under ordinary temperatures, to form athick viscous flowable solution suitable for film manufacture in theusualway.

.ently purified to having the desire freedom from color. On

A mixture of Application filedliarch 25, 1922. Serial no. 546,882.

When ethylene trichlorid alone or ethyl alcohol alone is mixed with {toof its own weight ofsaid ether, a flowablellsolution is not obtained. 7Other substances which flowable composition, suc triphenyl or tricres lphosphate,-camphor monochlor naphtha ene, etc. The in redients are ofthe. commercial type, su ci- "ve film or other product account of its"relatively higher boiling point, ethylene trichlorid evaporates moreslowly, and suflicient amounts of it remain in the film or product toincrease the useful properties of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A composition of matter comprising cellulose ether dissolved in amixture of ethylene trichlorid and a li uid com mind which coacts withsaid ethy ene trio lorid to give said mixture greater. solvent action onthe cellulose ether than-the sum of the solvent actions of its saidconstituents used P useful properties to the film mag added 'to theQlfexample, as I alone, said liquid compound being based alcohol.

3. A composition of matter, comprising cellulose ether dissolved in amixture of equal s of ethylene trichlorid and ethyl alcoho 4. Acomposition of matter comprislng cellulose ether dissolved in a mixtureof 10 to parts of ethylene trichlorid and 90.

to 10 parts of a liquid compound which coacts with said ethylenetrichlorid to give said mixture greater solvent action on the celluloseether than the sum of the solvent actions of its said constituents usedalone, I

said liquid compound being based upon [a monohydroxy aliphatic alcoholcontammg "less than six carbon atoms.

5. A viscous, flowable, film-formin composition,'comprising a mixture ofet trichlorid and a liquid compound coacts with said ethylene trichloridto said, mixture greater solvent action on the ylene which give 1' mommacellulose ether than the sum of the solvent actions of its saidconstituents used alone said liquid compound being based upon amonohydroxy aliphatic alcohol containing 5 less' than six carbon atoms,said solvent mixture containing Water-insoluble ethyl cellulose equal tofrom i to 5- the Weight thereof.

6. As an article of manufacture, a flowed film containing celluloseether and ethylene triclilorid.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 17th day of March 1922.

STEWART J. CARROLL.

